ok, don't forget to shave the legs to cut that extra wind resistance:whistling honestly, as fitness improves the weight of the bike won't be a major issue. decent tyres makes or breaks the ride really. the gearing on my old MTB was so tall that i could ride faster then a lot of guys on racing bikes. i didn't own a car till i was almost 20 cause i rode everywhere.
Slicks on the MTB is a great start. It saves you spending cash on a bike that you want dont want if you dont like riding that much. You want long rides? Dont buy a hard core race bike. It'll be a pain in the arse/shoulders/hips/knees/neck/wrists after about an hour. Slick MTB's work well for that sort of thing, but a touring bike with the right geometry (frame angles) will be a million % better. I've got 5 bikes at the moment (MTB, alu/carbon roadie, alu/carbon flat bar and two steel roadies). They're cheaper to mod than cars Jim
you don't need to shave if you're just riding around for fitness, but if you plan to compete in road racing or criteriums, you will fall off (take it from me) and apparently shaving reduces the severity of abrasions.
Minux, mate being from Geelong if want some honest advice give Geelong CyclingClub a call. A few of the boys might even have a bike you could buy. I envy you in Geelong as you have so many great rides and roads.. Mate been racing for 20yrs and pro for a few of em and can tell you that the most single most important issue when getting a road bike is to get measured up for the size. get the bike shop to set everything up for you.(seat height, bar height seat set back lever height etc) cause believe me when your doing the kays your arse and back and arms will thank you for it. also take a water bottle and something to eat. drink before your thirsty and eat before your hungry. hope all goes well and enjoy it mate... hope to see on the road soon.....
Well my bike is ordered, shoul dhave it by tomorrow. Had it fitted to match in frame size etc. Ended up buying a Specialized full carbon setup. Have to say the guys at the bike shop are great, been very helpful in all aspects!!
Sooo.... tempting.... **Thinks of ban*** j/k j/k I used to do a fair bit of off road bike riding (recreational) until I broke my collar bone in three places... just can't do it anymore as it aches after a bit of bumpy surfaces.... *I will be forced to laugh if you go out and buy skin tight lycra/spandex tho..... Stuff wind resistance have some dignity! lol! :wax: *unless you are doing racing in competitions
HAH, nah they were really good, i felt cheap begging for freebies for what I paid for mine due to a guy coming in and picking upa 9k frame lol. I bought the padded shorts to wear UNDER my normal shorts, will wear my standard nike shirts that I wear now for riding. Guys have told me to go along to a beginner road riders event thats held, so might tag along and see how I go once i get my fitness a bit higher. Amazing what was so easy as a kid is so hard now. I guess Im riding an MTB with fat tyres on it which probably makes things harder. The bike pic is attached, only difference is this has the shimano ultegra gear set which was due to some promotion at some point, meant to be better? the guys also threw in a pair of specialized road shoes(thought they were shimano but checked just now and says specialized) at no price. Also got a discount on a bike stand and the ultegra cleat pedals. Some bike specs are: 56cm Carbon Frame Carbon Forks Ultegra Gear set/Brake levers etc Alloy hubs, forged alloy wheels? stainless spokes Think it weighs like 9kg?
:rofl: I would be happy to be able to ride 200k in one sitting, let alone 2600 Did 60k tonight through the hills, I am ****ed.
Hmm......gone the full hog on carbon capture! Agree with MoR previously on that tyres make or break them on how easy they are to pedal, but skinny also = bone jarring ride, my bike is set up with a slightly wider 27inch touring tyre. Obviously races aren't my thing. Which brings me to the bike industry. Im sure the competitive cyclists can tell you how many secs each kilo reduction in bike weight is worth over 5km, but in terms of the rider/bike combo being typically 90kg+, paying twice as much to make a bike a few kilos lighter seems a bit over the top to me. It should be a cheap sport to get into, but one needs to spend 4K+ on a bike to even compete at amateur level? Surely they have to put a curb on the madness by making the bikes have a minimum weight so anyone can be competitive with a bike that's worth say $500-1000? (they can just strap on ballast to the lighter bikes) Sure if someone wants the lightest bike for their own riding, that's fine, though I question why, aren't they doing it for the exercise anyway?
I get what your saying, basically the bike I bought is well above entry level and cost alot less than 4k. My boss has been road racing for years and he is using this same setup(obviously a few extra gucci parts). I am happy with what I paid and It will serve its use well. I love the fact that something I loved doing when I was younger then despised as a car owner has come back to me...Last 4 weeks for me have been great, can't wait to get opn the road on my new beast. Againt hough, I do feel liek a twat for being so anti cyclist for so long, but hey, thats life.
Minux you ow me $3,000 lol After all this talk about riding, I dusted off my old crappy full rigid, steel mountain bike and headed for a ride around Mt Stromlo on Saturday. Today went to a highly recommended bike shop and got talking about what I should get. It was between the Giant Trance and the Giant Reign. Both have a similar price but the extra shock travel on the Reign is what sold me (I'm down to about 100kg now so still not the lightest guy around!) - plus it felt more solid (I don't know why). I've ordered a 2008 model with upgraded derailers, computer (incl HR monitor) and will be heading in to get fitted up in about 2 weeks. It'll be in next week but I'm at Mt Hotham skiing. Anyhow, I'm going to be seriously working on my fitness between now and October. Going to enter the 24hr Not solo. Definitely 2 of us, maybe 3. Can't wait to take this baby out! Only weighs 13.5kg! lol
Did you go to ONYA bike to get it. I deal with them for our work bikes and my own the guys at Belco are a good bunch of blokes
Well after a lot of online research, investigation, dicussions and visits to bike shops, I couldn't find a 2008 20 inch Reign 1 or Trance X1 anywhere! A bit disappointing as I really wanted one (was between the Reign 1 and the Trance X1). The order I made was cancelled as the release of the 2009 models meant no more 2008s could be ordered. The bigger problem is although they've been released, the 2009 models aren't likely to be available for two months. The problem then is that I wanted to be able to get fitter and train for the 24hr in October on my new bike and not my crappy old rigid. So last week I went out and bought a 2009 Talon hard tail (with some accessories - and AyUps are already on order). It'll be good enough for now and means I save a **** load of money too. Took it for a 25km spin on tarmac last Friday and it rides BEAUTIFULLY!!! I love it so far but no doubt will want to upgrade it within a year or two. In the mean time, I will probably end up with new pedals and a brake upgrade in the next couple of weeks. Heading to Mt Stromlo Thursday to see how it goes off road... Can't wait! (provided I can shake this damn sinus infection) If anyone is interested in doing the 24hr in October at Mt Stromlo in Canberra, let me know. So far we're planning for a pairs entry but having an extra person or two will make it easier for a fat unfit bastard like me! lol Although I am making steady progress on my fitness at the moment which I'm certainly happy about!
